The Laboratory of Cytometry has been established in June 2010 to provide state of the art multicolor flow cytometry service. Currently, Laboratory is equipped with the BD FACSCalibur flow cytometer, BD FACSAria cell sorter and iCys scanning cytometer. In 2011 the two new instruments will be established: 2-laser BD FACSCalibur and 4-laser LSR Fortessa cytometer, which allows for high-quality multiparameter/multicolour analysis. The Laboratory of Cytometry provides also a cell culture unit and all necessary laboratory facilities.

1. The Laboratory provides the core-facility service for investigators from the Nencki Institute and other scientific and R&D institutions;
2. We offer expertise and technical assistance in flow cytometry, cell sorting as well as laser scanning cytometry. We provide the expert consultation for experiment design, fluorochrome selection and data analysis;
3. The Laboratory is involved in the basic research and innovative projects, based on the high-tech flow cytometry applications. Lab members realise own research projects as well as are involved in the colaborative projects with other scientific groups;
4. Education – we organise lectures, training courses and hands-on workshops for beginners and advanced researchers.

Our research group carries out multidisciplinary studies on signaling networks that regulate cellular stress response and cell-cell communication which allow adaptation to disturbances of cellular or microenvironmental homeostatis in leukemia. Our priority is to understand mechanisms promoting leukemia progression and development of resistance, to propose novel therapeutic strategies.

Our research concentrates on investigation of the prosurvival pathways activated in leukemia cells, with the special interest in the unfolded protein response and the PERK-eIF2alpha signaling, as well as genomic instability and BRCA1 deﬁciency. Apart from that, we want to gain insights into the role of leukemia microenvironment and cross-talk of leukemia cells with other, surrounding cells, like stroma or immune system cells. We investigate what role in the cancer development plays intercellular communication mediated by secreted factors, exosomes and direct cell-cell connections called tunneling nanotubes (TnTs). Part of our research is dedicated to veriﬁcation of the novel targets and potential therapeutic treatments. We realize these aims by studies at the genomic, proteomic and cellular levels, with the use of broad range of molecular and cellular techniques, using in vitro and in vivo models.

Current research activities:

studying role of the Unfolded Protein Response and the PERK-eIF2alpha- dependent signaling in leukemia development, progression and resistance to therapy. Examining inﬂuence of the eIF2alpha-mediated secretion of leukemia-promoting proteins and exosome-transferred molecules, including miRNAs